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BERTH-DECK BALLADS: 

^'OLD GLORV 

AND 

OTHER POEMS, 



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By WILLL^M S. BATE. 




NEW YORK, 
1898. 



1896 



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Copyrighted 1898 
By WILLIAM S. BATE 



Printed by 
LocKwooD Press, N. Y. 



PREFATORY NOTE. 

While the writer has not hesitated to take "poetic license" with the 
minor incidents of the narrative pieces which follow, he believes that 
in their main features they will be found historically accurate. 




CONTENTS, 

A Paraphrase, 5 

The Sailor's Jolly Life, 6 

Old Glory, 7 

How Farragut Passed Fort Morgan, 11 

How Buchanan Fought the Fleet, 23 

Ahoy Thar! Landsman, 32 

Jack's Love for the Marines, 35 

Loss of the Congress and Cumberland, ^y 

The First Ironclad Fight, 44 

Jack Growls About the Grog, 52 

Jack's Letter to Grant, 54 

How the Kearsarge Sunk the Alabama, .... 57 

Homeward Bound, 64 

Ships at Sea, 66 

Out with the Tide, 67 

At Tap of Drum 68 

My Native Land, 70 

Halt There! 71 

George Washington, A Birthday Ode T2> 

Grant at Mount McGregor, 74 

The Evening Gun, 75 

4 



, A PARAPHRASE. 

t 

1 do not ask that I may stand 
Among the rulers of the land, 
Or that from off the battle field 
I may be borne on victor-shield. 

Let others make the people's laws, 
And win with sword their glad applause; 
But would that I might make them songs 
To breathe their joys and voice their wrongs. 



THE SAILOR'S JOLLY LIFE. 

I'M glad I am a jolly tar, 
And sail the ocean blue 
Upon a jolly man-o'-war, 
And with a jolly crew; 
I really, messmates, pities them 

As hev on land to be. 
The lads don't know what livin' is 
That's never been to sea. 

While 'fore the blast we bowl along 

In safety o'er the deep; 
A tremblin' in their beds with fear 

The land folks cannot sleep. 
No chimney pots fall on our heads. 

No trees across our path; 
Snug in our hammocks far from shore. 

At Davey Jones we laugh. 

How little uv what's really life 

Does the landlubber know; 
Uv pleasures uv the watch above 

And uv the watch below. 
I really, messmates, pities them 

That's never been to sea; 
Fur life aboard a man-o'-war 's 

The jolliest thar be. 

Yes, mates, I'm glad I am a tar. 

And sail the ocean blue, 
L^pon a jolly man-o'-war, 

And with a jolly crew. 
The lads don't know what livin' is 

That's never been to sea; 
And found out what a jolly life 

The man-o'-war's man's be. 



OLD GLORY. 



THE SAILORS SONG OF THE FLAG. 

THEY'VE had a rousin' time ashore, 
I heerd the bos'n say, 
As whether Ireland's flag should float 

With L^ncle Sam's to-day. 
Well, though it cheers the Irish lads 

Their colors thar to see, 
Old Glory wavin' all alone 

Is good enough fur me. 
Is good enough fur me, my lads. 

Is good enough fur me; 
Old Glory wavin' all alone 

Is good enough fur me. 

Now, I don't blame the furrin folks 

Because they love their flags. 
Fur it's but right enough for them 

To like their ugly rags; 
But havin' fit fur Uncle Sam's 

'Most from my mother's knee, 
Old Glory that she loved so well 

Is good enough fur me. 
Is good enough fur me, my lads, 

Is good enough fur me; 
Old Glory that my mother loved 

Is good enough fur me. 



OLD GLORY. 

My dad he fit the Britishers 

Jist eighty years ago; 
And grandad, too, in '76, 

Agin that one time foe; 
And if he thought it good enough 

When fightin' to be free, 
Old Glory, flag uv '76, 

Is good enough fur me. 
Is good enough fur me, my lads, 

Is good enough fur me; 
Old Glory, flag uv Washington! 

Is good enough fur me. 

And comin' down to my own time, 

A warrin' I did go 
With our brave lads in '46, 

'Way down to Mexico. 
And though the Dons in Vera Cruz 

Did not it like to see. 
Old Glory flyin' from their forts 

Wuz good enough fur me; 
Wuz good enough fur me, my lads, 

Wuz good enough fur me; 
Old Glory flyin' from their forts 

Wuz good enough fur me. 

And when the South in '61 

The Union tried to break, 
I couldn't find it in my heart 

The old flag to fursake; 
And though they said the Stars and Bars 

A better flag to be, 
Old Glory, as she always was, 

Wuz good enough fur me. 
Wuz good enough fur me, my lads, 

Wuz good enough fur me; 
Old Glory uv the Union! 

Wuz good enough fur me. 



OLD GLORY. 

And so with brave old Farragut 

I fit in Mobile Bay, 
And by the forts to New Orleans 

With him I worked my way; 
And thought if it wuz good enough 

Fur cap'n sich as he, 
Old Glory streamin' from the gafT 

Wuz good enough fur me. 
Wuz good enough fur me, my lads, 

Wuz good enoug*h fur me; 
Old Glory, flag uv Farragut! 

Wuz good enough fur me. 

And though I've done no fightin' since 

The Rebs their colors struck; 
Old as I be I think I hev 

Still left a bit uv pluck. 
And if some uv them furrin chaps 

Insultin' to her be, 
Old Glory fioatin' thar so proud 

Will find a friend in me. 
Will find a friend in me, my lads, 

Will find a friend in me; 
Old Glory, flag uv North and South! 

Will find a friend in me. 

Yet I don't blame the furriner 

Because he loves his flag; 
So, if I was a Britisher 

I'd fight fur their red rag; 
But havin' sailed with Uncle Sam's 

On almost every sea. 
Old Glory, dancin' thar so gay 

Is good enough fur me; 
Is good enough fur me, my lads. 

Is good enough fur me; 
Old Glory, flag uv Uncle Sam! 

Is good enough fur me. 



OLD GLORY. 

So if you're 'round, mates, when I sail 

Upon my long last cruise; 
Remember that no better shroud 

Than that old flag I'd choose; 
And wrap me in its stripes and stars, 

And launch me in the sea, 
P'ur it and dear Old Glory thar 

Are good enough fur me. 
Are good enough fur me, my lads, 

Are good enough fur me; 
Old Glory fur my windin' sheet. 

My grave — the deep blue sea. 




10 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

WHEN speakin' uv "Old Glory" thar 
On last Saint Paddy's day, 
I think some uv you lads allowed 

You'd like to hear me say 
How Farragut the battle won, 
'Way down in Mobile Bay, 
And how that dear old flag he bore 
On her victorious way. 

Well, though it's nigh on thirty year 

Since that great fight was won. 
It seems as plain as yesterday 

How we them batteries run; 
But if I should git off my course 

Jack, here, '11 set me right, 
Fur he was cap'n uv a gun 

And well he did her fight. 

I in the good old Hartford was 

That day with Admiral Dave; 
And happier lad you never seed 

Than when he orders gave 
That I the startin' signal should 

Unto the squadron wave; 
That soon, alack! a hundred men 

Led to a watery grave. 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

But we'd no time to cogitate 

Jist then 'bout death ur fear, 
And scarc'ly fur a thought o' them 

At home, to us most dear; 
Fur we wuz needin' all our wits 

How best to steer our way 
Between the forts and tarpedoes 

That guarded Mobile Bay. 

Well, long 'fore light the bos'n piped 

"All hands, up hammocks all," 
And soon to heavin' in the grub 

Our jolly lads did fall; 
While old Dave in the cabin sot, 

A sippin' uv his tea, 
Along with Cap'n Drayton, and 

As cool as cool could be. 

While still a-sippin', daylight kum, 

And then he up and say: 
"Well, Drayton, guess we might as well 

Be gettin' under way." 
And then the signals to the fleet 

The cap'n told me wave; 
And so the word to every ship 

To start, I quickly gave. 

"All right!" the Brooklyn signaled back, 

And then began to churn 
The seethin' water with her screw, 

While stringin' out astern. 
The other ships commenced to move 

And all our hearts to burn — 
Fur reasons that you 'prentices 

Will know when comes your turn. 



12 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

So up the channel slow we steamed, 

The Brooklyn in the lead; 
And never, lads, in all my life, 

A purtier sight I seed; 
Without it was the time we run 

The forts to New Orleans; 
Or when we captur'd Vera Cruz. 

When I was in my teens. 

Soon 'cross the water came "boom, boom," 

Tecumseh's openin' growls; 
And then Fort Morgan's dogs o' war 

Sot up their helhsh howls; 
And when our starboard battery 

Begun to speak the fort, 
I never seed in all my life 

A better bit o' sport. 

Not that I car' partiklarly 

To hear the screech and whiz 
Uv shrapnel, shell and solid shot 

When fust they're out fur biz; 
But somehow, as the danger grew, 

My sperrits alius riz. 
As every other man's should do, 

Whose callin' fightin' is. 

Now I wuz standin' on the poop. 

As proud as gal with beaus, 
To be thar nigh the admiral, 

When off he starts and goes 
And mounts the main port riggin' shrouds, 

The better fur to see 
The movements uv our gallant fleet 

And uv the enemy. 



13 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

And then as higher riz the smoke 

And hotter grew the fire, 
Instead o' comin' down on deck 

He mounted high'r and high'r, 
Until he reached the futtock shrouds, 

And thar he to 'em clung, 
And hailed the pilot in the top. 

And out his orders sung. 

Now Drayton had him in his eye. 

And soon to me sez he: 
"I'm feared a shot may cut a shroud 

And land him in the sea; 
So take a bit o' lead line thar, 

And lash him to the mast; 
And be ye lively 'bout it, too. 

And make him snug and fast." 

"Aye, aye, sir," quick I piped him back, 

And up the ratlins run; 
Which, lads, because uv shot and shell, 

Wuz rather risky fun; 
And when I had the Admiral reached, 

I sez to him, sez I: 
"I've orders from the cap'n, sir, 

You to the mast to tie." 

He scarce took note o' me at fust. 

Fur lookin' at the fight; 
But when agin I hailed him, said: 

"Don't mind, lad, I'm all right." 
"But them's my orders, sir," sez I, 

And then I teched my hat, 
"And them I try to carry out" — 

Old Davey grinned at that, 



14 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

And said: "That's what I do meself; 

So lash me to the shroud; 
Fur though the cap'n said the mast, 

Say / the change allowed." 
And so the line to one I hitched, 

And quick around him passed, 
And to the other shroud the end 

I soon made snug and fast. 

Now all this time the Hartford had 

Been gittin' in her work, 
And every lad upon the deck 

A fightin' like a Turk; 
As we could see from whar we wuz 

Up in the futtock shrouds, 
The smoke so thick it sometimes seemed 

We must be in the clouds. 

And even when we couldn't see, 

We knew the fight wuz hot; 
Fur we could hear the cannon boom, 

And hear the shell and shot 
Crash through the old ship's wooden sides, 

And wuss than all, the groans 
Uv shipmates welterin' in their gore. 

In most heart rendin' tones. 

And when a hundred pounder lodged 

Below us in the mast. 
And I could feel the wind uv shells 

As they went whizzin' past; 
Though not afeared, sez I to I: 

"A bloomin' fool wuz ye 
To 'list and be a target fur 

The rebel enemy." 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

While still a-thinkin' fightin' warn't 

The gayest kind o' sport, 
From off the Brooklyn's starboard bow 

Thar came a dull report; 
That 'cause uv all the smoke and din. 

We really thought, at fust, 
The bilers uv the rebel ram 

The Brooklyn's shot had bust. 

And so, from all our gallant fleet, 

Thar went up sich a cheer 
That every Reb on land and sea 

Might well have fled fur fear; 
But they wuz not the runnin' kind, 

And even harder fit; 
Fur, lads, they wuz Americans, 

And they don't scare a bit. 

But soon our cheerful feelin's wuz 

A mighty difTerent sort; 
Fur through a smoke rift, mates, we saw 

Tecumseh reel to port; 
Then lift her stern high into air, 

Then settle by the head, 
And carry more'n a hundred men 

Down like a lump o' lead. 

And all because uv orders, lads. 

That hadn't been obeyed; 
Fur they, outside the channel buoy, 

Their vessel's course had laid; 
Though Farragut had said to steer 

Along its east'ard side; 
And if they had, Tecumseh now 

Might safe at anchor ride. 



16 



HOIV FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

But Craven was as brave a tar 

As ever sailed a ship, 
And when Tecumse'h from his feet 

Was just about to slip, 
And when to save his life, to climb 

Was all he had to do, 
He wouldn't, but to Collins said: 

"No, pilot; after you." 

But thar wuz nothin' after him, 

Fur when he reached the top, 
The grogg-y, reelin', tremblin' craft 

A sudden seemed to drop; 
And uv that gallant monitor 

And all her gallant crew, 
He and a dozen shipmates wuz 

All that wuz left in view. 

It wuz an awful minit, lads. 

And Davey later said. 
He didn't know jist what to do — 

To back or go ahead — 
Till he had piped Aloft a prayer. 

And asked: "Shall I go on?" 
And back the answer seemed to come 

To keep his course upon. 

But Alden had begun to back, 

So Davey up and said: 
Unto the pilot in the top — 

A leetle 'bov his head: 
"What ails her. Freeman, ain't she got 

Enough uv water thar?" 
"Yes, admir'l, every bit she needs, 

And plenty, too, to spar'." 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

And then old Davey he got mad, 

And high his anger riz, 
And to 'em on the deck he roared: 

"Ask what the trouble is!" 
Then Kimberly the trumpet took, 

And hailed 'em: "What's the matter?'' 
And only one word, "tarpedoes," 

I heered above the clatter. 

Then to Cap' Drayton "Go: ahead!" 

Old Davey fairly yells. 
And then to Jouett: "Full speed, thar. 

Four bells, I say, four bells!" — 
His orders quick were followed, lads. 

And for'ard at full speed 
The backin' Brooklyn soon we passed, 

To victory to lead. 

More likely, though, to sartin death. 

We reckoned, mates, that day; 
The channel thick with tarpedoes 

Nigh whar Tecumseh lay; 
But Farragut piped, "Go ahead!" 

And he was alius right. 
Though Davey Jones' locker seemed 

To us almost in sight. 

And so we kept upon our course. 

Though them below could feel 
The scrapin' uv the hellish things 

Along the Hartford's keel; 
But luckily the water had 

The primin' made so bad, 
That not a single one went off, — 

And mebbe we warn't glad! 



18 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

But thar wiiz business hot enough 

Still left fur us to do, 
Fur soon, full tilt, down on us bore 

Buchanan and his crew; 
While for'ard, off our starboard bow, 

The rebel gunboats lay; 
And, keepin' jist so fur ahead, 

At us they blazed away. 

Now each one uv our bigger ships 

A lit'ler consort had; — 
The Metacomet wuz our mate, — 

And, whew! warn't Jouett mad 
To see the Selma sweep a crew 

Like nine-pins from a gun, 
And not be 'lowed to give her chase, 

Not wantin' better fun. 

And three times begged the Admiral 

To let him at her git; 
But Davey, knowin' what wuz best, 

Three times piped back: "Not yit!" 
Fur should one of the Selma's shells 

Into our bilers go, 
The Metacomet we should need 

To give the Hartford tow. 

But when Fort Morgan's flashin' guns 

We had got safely by. 
Old Davey gave to him the word. 

And with a glad "Aye, aye!" 
Jouett, himself, a hatchet took, 

And helped his craft to clear; 
And then off toward the enemy 

They dashed with cheer on cheer. 



19 



HOPV FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

And soon uv them they fell afoul 

And poured in shot and shell, 
And though they wuz Americans, 

And fit their vessel well, 
Brave Jouett forged across their bows, 

And wuz about to board; 
When seein' that the jig wuz up. 

The Stars and Bars they lower'd. 

Meantime, betwixt the ram and forts 

They'd kept us wide awake. 
The ironclad tried to run us down. 

But failed the mark to make; 
And then she fur the Brooklyn went, 

But as she kuni they sheered, 
And failin' fur the second time, 

She fur the Richmond steered. 

But she no use had fur her prow. 

Nor had the Lackawan'; 
And so in turn from ship to ship 

The rebel ironclad ran; 
And though Old Buck he did his best, 

His vessel wuz so slow. 
She failed agin a single craft 

To strike a fatal blow. 

But while she couldn't use her ram, 

She got her broadsides in, 
And how she mowed our brave lads down- 

I say it wuz a sin; 
And when she rasped along our side, 

From all the crash and din. 
You might hev thought it made o' glass 

And hers uv sheets uv tin. 



20 



HOIV FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

It wuzn't, though, as Jack, here, found 

When his big cannon shot, 
She didn't seem to mind a bit, 

Though Jack he sent 'em hot; 
And saw 'em glance off from her plates 

Jist like so many peas; 
While her shot through our bulwarks went 

As though they had been cheese. 

I tell ye, lads, the hottest work 

The old ship ever knew 
Was when she fit the Tennessee 

And forts and gunboats, too; 
And 'twixt the groans and shouts and shrieks, 

And crash uv shot and shell. 
She seemed from whar we wuz aloft, 

A fiery fioatin' hell. 

But even fightin' has an end ; 

And soon, in Mobile Bay, 
As peaceful as a flock o' geese 

Our fleet at anchor lay; 
And though we pumped a lot o' tears, 

Our messmates dead to see. 
We wuz a mighty happy lot 

Thar with whole skins to be. 

And so once more had Farragut 

A deed uv daring done, 
Sich as no other cap'n had 

Since warrin' wuz begun; 
But yit he wuzn't through his work. 

Fur still the Tennessee 
Wuz flauntin' proud the Stars and Bars 

Thar under Morgan's lee. 



21 



HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. 

But how old Buck agin kum out 

And tackled all our fleet, 
And how we did with all our ships 

The brave old sea-dog meet; 
I will not, lads, the stirrin' tale. 

So nigh two bells begin, 
But if ye'd like some other night 

The yarn I'll try to spin. 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

AND so you want to hear to-night 
How, after we had run 
Fort Morgan and the batteries, 

And thought our work wuz done, 
Old Buck upon the Tennessee 

Kum out and fought the fleet, 
And how we under Farragut 
Did his oncomin' meet. 

Well, gimme chaw terbackker, Bill, 

And shove the grog agin; 
When, havin' my machinery iled 

The yarn I'll try to spin; 
And send the can the ring around 

To leetle and to big, 
That uv the soul-inspirin' stuff 

Each one may hev a swig. 

All ready? Well, ye see we thought 

The fightin' at an end — 
That is, fur the time bein', as 

The admiral did intend 
As soon as we had et some grub. 

To beard Buck in his lair, 
And what work still remained to do 

To finish then and there. 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

But, meantime, we wuz washin' decks 

Clean uv the blood and dirt. 
And doin' everything we could 

Fur messmates who was hurt; 
While at the galley fires the cooks 

War working with a will, 
That 'fore we fought agin we should 

Our hungry paunches fill. 

But old Buck wuzn't waitin', lads, 

To give us time to eat, 
And 'fore we had a single bite 

Wuz steerin' fur our fleet. 
So fryin' pans war shoved aside 

And cofl:ee pots war dropped, 
And quick into their fightin' clothes 

The cooks and stewards hopped. 

The admiral was on the poop. 

And lookin' fearful stern. 
And said to Drayton at his side. 

As to him he did turn: 
"He's after me — let him cum on, 

He needn't fear Til run, 
Fur I will fight him while I hev 

A man left or a gun." 

Nur did he wait till Buck arrove. 

Fur soon our vessels he 
Had signalled from the spanker gafif : 

"Attack the enemy!" 
And quick war all their anchors tripped, 

And fur the ram they run; 
Each cap'n wishin' his own craft 

To be fust in the fun. 



34 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

The iron-prowed Mon'gahela, though, 

Had the good kick to lead, 
And rushed upon the Tennessee 

At almost race-hoss speed, 
A hopin' that she'd cut her down, 

But did no damage do. 
While two shots from the rebel ram, 

They pierced her through and through. 

The Lackawanna wuz the next 

To strike agin the ram. 
But scarcely, though, with more effect 

Than her own nose to jam ; 
A lucky shot, though, struck a port 

And broke a slidin' shutter. 
But two uv Buck's went through her bows 

As if they had been butter. 

Meantime we had been gettin' thar 

As fast as we knew how. 
And steerin' fur to strike the ram 

A blow squar' with our bow ; 
But Buck he was a cunnin' one, 

And got onto our game, 
And put his helium hard aport, 

As fur his craft we came. 

And so, instead uv rammin' her. 

We crashed along her side. 
And when we had got stem and stern 

Old Buck exultin' cried: 
"Now give it to the Hartford, lads. 

Fur we hev got her right; 
And aim close to the water line 

And sink her out o' sight." 



25 



HOIV BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

But "the cherub that sits up aloft" 

Wuz good to us once more; 
As only one uv their big" shot 

Into our bulwarks tore, 
The other pieces missin' fire, 

Their primin' bein' bad. 
Which made the Johnnies wild with rage, 

And us uncommon glad. 

Now, while a makin' fur the ram 

As hard as we could split, 
I saw old Davey go agin, 

And in the riggin' git; 
But this time in the mizzen shrouds 

And nigh unto the rail; 
Yit, whar a rebel rifle ball. 

To hit him skarce could fail. 

But Watson, his lef'tenant, soon 

His danger cum to see, 
And after him he quickly steered. 

And sez to him, sez he: 
"Kum aft, sir, on the quarter deck, 

Whar you will safer be" — 
Thougfh no spot on the ship wuz safe, 

Thar near the enemy. 

But Davey he was awful sot 

When sartin he was right, 
And never gave a thought to self 

When captinin' a fight. 
And tharfur wouldn't budge an inch 

Till we the ram had passed; 
And so, as I had, to the shrouds 

Did Watson make him fast. 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

But soon we cleared the Tennessee, 

And puttin' on all steam, 
We curved around to try agin 

To hit her squar' abeam; 
Not dreamin' that a sister ship 

Wuz kumin' through the smoke 
To strike upon the Hartford's hull 

Almost the self-same stroke. 

But we war steamin' right across 

The Lackawanna's course, 
And 'fore she could her headway stop 

She struck us with sich force 
Between the main and mizzen masts. 

She knocked two port-s in one. 
And fur a little while we thought 

The old ship's days war done. 

And quickly, "Save the admiral," 

Wuz piped along the deck; 
But bless ye! he was in the shrouds 

A lookin' at the wreck; 
Which bein' skarcely low enough 

To let the water in, 
He orders gave to try to ram 

The Tennessee agin. 

Now by this time 'most uv our craft 

War peggin' at her too, 
And givin' old Buck and his men 

All that they keered to do; 
While at her flanks two monitors, 

Held like dogs to a bull; 
But how she shed their monster shot, 

I say wuz wonderful. 



87 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

But one from the Manhattan had 

Struck squar' her side agin, 
And through three feet uv oak and iron 

Had let the daylight in; 
But though it was a fifteen inch 

And made uv solid steel, 
It didn't pass her bulwarks through, 

Or death beyond 'em deal. 

And all the while the Chickasaw 

Was barkin' at her heels, 
And fast as he could get 'em in 

His iron teeth she feels; 
Till after while the plates begun 

To fly from ofif her f^tern. 
But still he kept close onto her 

However she might turn. 

The ram wuz gittin' tougher work 

Than she had bargained fur; — 
Some uv her shutters war so jammed 

They couldn't make 'em stir; 
Her smokestack, too, went by the board, 

And from the stump the smoke. 
The gun deck made so thick and hot. 

It threatened all to choke. 

But though things war so desperit, 

Old Buck he still wuz game, 
And from the pilot house above 

Down to the gun deck came, 
And took in charge the battery. 

And cheered the gunners on; 
And well it wuz he did so, fur 

Their hope was almost gone. 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

And yit they war as brave a crew 

As ever hauled a sheet; 
And bein', too, Americans, 

'Ud rather fight than eat. 
And though to fit "Old Glory," lads, 

I knew it warn't right, 
I couldn't help admirin' 'em, 

The way that they did fight. 

As soon as old Buck reached the deck, 

He fur a workman sent 
To fix a shutter on the stern 

The Chickasaw had bent, 
But quick a shot the casemate struck 

Alongside uv his seat, 
And knocked the poor lad into bits 

As small as sausage meat. 

A splinter, started by the shock 

Broke old Buck's leg, and though 
He still wuz game they had to take 

Him to the deck below. 
But he had said if he should fall, 

To put him out the way. 
And still fight on; so quick agin 

They jumped into the fray. 

Cap' Johnston now was in command 

Uv rebel craft and crew; 
And though he was as brave as Buck, 

And well his business knew, 
The Tennessee was crippled so 

He could but little do. 
And every minnit wus and wus 

The outlook fur her grew. 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

And so they tried to git her bow 

Toward whar Fort Morgan lay, 
But 'fore they could, her steerin' gear 

Had all been shot away; 
And though she still could turn her screw, 

She floated on the bay 
Almost as helpless as a log, 

And soon to be our prey. 

But, like the lads they tell about, 

Who, rigged in iron clothes. 
Though sword and battle-axe war broke, 

'Ud not yield to their foes; 
So did the Tennessee hold out 

Agin the giant hail 
The monitors war thunderin' 

Upon her coat of mail. 

But when he sees it must give way 

Unto their awful blows. 
And other ships about to ram, 

Then Johnston up and goes 
And tells old Buck how matters stand. 

And leaves to him to say 
If they should still keep up the fight 

Or the white flag display. 

"Well, Johnston, do the best you kin," 

Old Buck groaned in his pain, 
"And when ye hev done that, give in." 

He groaned to him again. 
But they'd already done their best. 

And soon a snow white flag 
We seed a flyin' whar so proud 

Had flown the rebel rag. 



HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. 

And lads, you should hev heerd the cheer 

We sent up when we saw 
Cap' Johnston's own hands to the deck 

The rebel colors draw; 
And when the Stars and Stripes their place 

Upon the flagstaff took, 
The shouts with which we greeted it 

The old ship fairly shook. 

So ended, lads, the hottest fight 

The Hartford ever fit; 
At least, that's what soon arterward 

Old Davey said uv it; 
And never wuz another shot 

Agin the old ship fired, 
Fur soon, a well scarred veteran. 

She from the war retired. 

But I, lads, couldn't stay ashore. 

Fur things thar wuz too slow; 
So to Fort Fisher with the fleet 

I soon wuz glad to go; 
And even when the war wuz done 

I couldn't quit the sea. 
Fur life aboard a man-o'-war's 

The only life fur me. 



81 



AHOY THAR, LANDSMAN! 

A PLEA FOR THE HARTFORD. 

AHOY thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 
Do unto her no harm, 
Fur up the riggin' uv my mind 

My dear old messmates swarm. 
And hail me o'er the gulf uv years 

And bid me say to thee, 
To be to their old craft as kind 
As they themselves would be. 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Harm not her sacred hull. 
Fur uv fond memories uv the past 

To-day its brimmin' full; 
And ghosts uv dead men on her deck, 

Methinks they beckon thee 
To kindly treat the brave old ship 

Still loved by them and me. 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Harm not a single knee! 
Fur she is to my soul as dear 

As thy sweetheart to thee; 
Each timber thar if it could speak 

Would make a touchin' plea 
That thou be to that ship as kind 

As them that love her be. 



32 



AHOY THAR, LANDSMAN! 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Touch not a single gun! 
Fur up the ratlins uv my mind 

My recollections run. 
And lookin' off to Mobile Bay, 

Them dear old cannon see 
A blazin' out their shot and shell 

Agin the enemy. 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Touch not a single mast! 
Fur they memorial pillars are 

Uv her victorious past; 
And from the mizzen royal, methinks, 

The admiral's flag to thee 
Now signals: "Spare the good old ship 

That wuz so dear to me." 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Touch not a single spar! 
Fur each is to my heart as dear 

As my own kinsmen are; 
In memory shipmates man the yards 

And bid me say to thee 
To be to their old craft as kind 

As they if here would be. 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Touch not a single shroud! 
Fur in the maintop uv my mind 

Her old maintopsmen crowd; 
While Farragut, lashed to the stays, 

In memory I see, 
Commandin' thee to treat his ship 

As kindly as would he. 



33 



AHOY THAR, LANDSMAN! 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Touch not that gallant gaff! 
Fur dear "Old Glory" from its peak 

Did at all danger laugh; 
And now she waves across the years 

And signals unto the 
To kindly treat the ship that bore 

Her on to victory. 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

Touch not a single holt! 
Fur each one on my heartstrings has 

A more than iron holt; 
And through each throb I think they speak 

And bid me say to thee 
To be as kind to their old ship 

As them that love her be. 

Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! 

A grateful nation pleads — 
In memory uv her gallant lads 

And uv their gallant deeds; 
And in the years we're voyagin' to, 

Our sons shall honor thee 
Fur honorin' the ship that bore 

Their sires to victory. 



9h 



34 



JACK'S LOVE FOR THE MARINES. 

SAY, lads, I hear they are to go — 
The lubberly marines — 
And if it's true, for me and you 

A rousin' time it means. 
A rousin' time it means, my lads, 

A rousin' time it means; 
Fur life will be wuth livin' when 
We're rid uv the marines. 

Between perlicemen when in port 

And the sea-cops at sea, 
A man-o'-warsman's life is not 

Jist what it ought to be; 
But if the lubbers are to go, 

A jolly time it means; 
Fur life will be wuth livin' when 

We're rid uv the marines. 

When boardin' ship from leave ashore, 

Whar sharks our drink hev drugged, 
Instid uv lendin' us a hand, 

They hev us quickly jugged; 
But if the lubbers are to go 

A jolly change it means. 
Fur we won't treat each other so 

When rid uv the marines. 



85 



JACK'S LOVE FOR THE MARINES. 

Whoever heerd uv one uv them 

Who raised the rum blockade, 
Or who to messmates in the "brig" 

Would let us render aid; 
But, lads, if they hev got to go, 

No prison cell it means; 
And life will be wuth livin' when 

We're rid uv the marines. 

They are uv free born mariners 

The nat'rul enemies, 
And never should hev been allowed 

To sail with them the seas; 
But if they've really got to go, 

Our rights to hev it means. 
Fur life will be wuth livin' when 

We're rid uv the marines. 

So here's a health onto the chap 

Who's goin' to make 'em go; 
Come, shove the can around agin 

And let good speerits flow; 
Fur if the lubbers are to leave. 

Right jolly times it means; 
And life will be wuth livin' when 

We're rid uv the marines. 



36 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

WELL, lads, a very mournful yarn 
1 hev to spin to-night, 
As how the Merrimac cum out 

Our wooden ships to fight; 
And how, when through their bloody work, 

The Rebs at dusk retired. 
They'd sunk the good ship Cumberland 
And the old Congress fired. 

I was aboard the fust named ship 

That day in sixty-two. 
And doubt if ever Hampton Roads 

A finer momin' knew. 
Than broke upon that eighth uv March, 

A day uv Southern spring, 
Uv breezes soft and bright blue sky 

And birds upon the wing. 

Jist oflf the pint uv Newport News 

We at our anchors swung, 
And in the riggin' uv our ship 

Our newly washed clothes hung; 
And no more likely seemed a fight 

Before the sun should set 
Than me or you shall ever wear 

A captain's epaulette. 



37 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

But long towards noon a cloud uv smoke 

Wuz seen down Norfolk way, 
And later, what looked like a barn 

Came movin' up the bay; 
And soon, in what, a long way off, 

Its shingled roof had seemed, 
A shutter opened, and a shell 

Across the water screamed. 

It struck our good old ship astern, 

And of the gallant crew 
That manned her big aft pivot gun, 

It left, alack, but few; 
But other officers and men 

Their places quickly took, 
And soon beneath the heavy fire 

The stout old timbers shook. 

Meantime the Merrimac had run 

Nigh whar the Congress lay, 
And with her rifled battery 

Agin her blazed away; 
While both our ships sich broadsides sent 

That any wooden ship 
If left afloat would hev been glad 

Away from us to skip. 

But 'stead uv that, the Merrimac 

Jist crowded on all steam. 
And steerin' a straight course, struck us 

Well furrid uv abeam; 
And underneath our water line 

Her prow made sich a hole, 
That easily into the breach 

A water cask could roll. 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

And, lads, the poor old Cumberland 

Wuz shivered by the shock 
As much as if when sailin' free 

She'd struck a sunken rock; 
And soon she sharply heeled to port 

And fast begun to fill; 
But all our lads stood to their guns 

And fought 'em with a will. 

And when the Rebs yelled, "Strike yer flag," 

Brave Morris up and cried : 
"No, never will we yield our ship. 

But sink yer craft beside." 
Which bein', too, our sentiments, 

His words we wildly cheered. 
And fired our guns, till underneath 

The waves they disappeared. 

Fur when the gun deck was awash, 

We on the spar deck fought. 
While shipmates, stripped down to their waists, 

Us ammunition brought; 
And thar we worked the pivot guns, 

Till with a lurch and lunge 
Our brave craft to the bottom went 

With one appallin' plunge. 

And with her many a gallant lad 

Went to a briny grave; 
While others uv us that could swim 

Struck out our lives to save; 
And some laid hold uv floating stuflf. 

And some the mainmast seize, 
From which Old Glory proudly yet 

Wuz floating in the breeze. 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

At fust I started fur the beach, 

But when, near by, I seen 
The Congress tackled by the Rebs, 

I thought it kinder mean 
To leave her lads a strugglin' thar 

And me git safe ashore; 
And so I shaped another course. 

And fur the frigate bore. 

I reached her soon and caught a rope 

And hauled myself aboard; 
An' awfuler sight I never seed. 

Fur out the scuppers poured 
Dark, sickenin' streams uv human blood 

From mangled men that lay 
In heaps about the gory deck, 

Blown from their guns away. 

The Merrimac lay ofif astern. 

Where she the decks could rake, 
And every broadside that she sent 

A score uv lads would take. 
From cannon they stood idly by, 

The rebels usin' care 
To hold thar craft jist whar our guns 

Could not be brought to bear. 

I picked my way amongst the dead, 

Back to the mizzen mast. 
And found there, urgin' on his men, 

Lef'tenant Pendergast, 
Who now that brave Smith wuz no more, 

Wuz captainin' the craft, 
And answerin' the rebels' fire 

With the two cannons aft. 



40 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

I teched my hat, and when he saw 

The name the ribbon bore, 
He said: "Lord! haint ye fit enough, 

Without a-wantin' more?" 
But when I told him why I'd come, 

He grabbed me by the hand, 
And said he thought a lad I know 

The noblest in the land. 

But that wuz not the time fur talk, 

Fur rebel shot and shell 
Wuz rakin' us from stem to stern, 

And frequently, the yell 
Uv some poor lad by them cut down, 

Upon our hearin' fell ; 
And who would be the next to go, 

None on that deck could tell. 

But notwithstandin' all o' that, 

Thar wuz no shirkin' done. 
Each officer stood at his post. 

Each gunner by his gun; 
While them as could git in a shot 

Agin the Merrimac, 
Wuz doin' everything they could 

To send her greetin's back. 

So the unequal fight went on, 

Nor did the struggle cease 
Till on the foe we couldn't bring 

To bear a single piece; 
While hot shot from the rebel ram 

Had set our ship afire. 
And threatened soon to make her deck 

For us a funeral pyre. 



41 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

Yes, only then our captain gave 

The word to strike our flag, 
And, lads, it made us sick at heart 

Old Glory down to drag; 
Old Glory that we many a time 

Had flaunted at the foe. 
And never till that dreadful day 

Had seen to grief brought low. 

Not so the rebel admiral, 

Who soon two gunboats sent 
To take us ofiF as prisoners; c 

Which object to prevent, 
Our batteries upon the shore 

Kept up so hot a fire, 
They forced them to give up the job, 

And from our side retire. 

But not till many a friend and foe 

Had fallen by their shot; 
And, messmates, it seemed pretty hard 

To be by friends besot; 
But, howsomever, when the rebs 

Had steamed from us away, 
To leave that burnin' bloody wreck 

We didn't long delay. 

And, some by swimmin', some by boats, 

We got ourselves ashore, 
Except the gallant lads asleep 

To wake on airth no more; 
And, from the land, we saw the flames 

From every porthole pour; 
And mount the riggin', and above 

The highest masthead soar. 



42 



LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. 

And when at last the tongues uv fire 

Laid holt the magazine, 
We saw the saddest, grandest sight 

Our eyes had ever seen; 
For with a mighty rush and roar 

The flames shot high in air, 
As if unto a heavenly port 

The dear old ship to bear. 

Ah, lads! that wuz the darkest night 

Our navy ever knew, 
And when we uv the morrow thought, 

Our minds still darker grew; 
Fur over thar by Sewall's P'int 

The rebel ironclad lay, 
Expectin' to complete her work 

Upon the comin' day. 

But how the little Monitor 

Before the mornin' came. 
Showed up jist in the nick o' time 

And blocked their little game 
I will not tell to you to-night, 

But if ye care to know. 
Will speak about some other time 

When on the watch below. 



43 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

AS I allowed last time I talked, 
Our hearts wuz filled with gloom, 
The night we watched the Congress burn, 

A-thinkin' uv the doom 
That sartin seemed fur all our ships 

Aground in Hampton Bay, 
Soon as the Rebs should get to work 
Upon the comin' day. 

But when at last the mornin' broke, 

Through the fust glimmerin' light. 
With strainin' eyes we seaward saw 

A most uncommon sight; 
Fur nigh the Minnesota lay 

A strange outlandish craft. 
That seemed, as some landlubber said, 

A cheesebox on a raft. 

"What can it be?" I hailed my mates, 

"And what on 'arth meant fur?" 
When the landlubber up and said: 

"It is the Monitor, 
An ironclad craft uv Ericsson's, 

A crank down New York way. 
That kum last night, but nigh got swamped 

A-gittin' here, they say." 



44 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

"Her orders read fur Washington, 

But when inside the capes, 
Old Worden heerd the boom uv guns. 

And so her course he shapes 
To bring her into Hampton Roads, 

Whar Marston held her back — 
Though disobeying orders — fur 

To meet the Merrimac." 

"To meet the Merrimac!" we cried, 

"What! that queer leetle craft?" 
And then, so silly seemed the thought, 

That we jist up and laughed 
That enny one was fool enough 

A tub like that to send 
To fight the mighty Merrimac, 

And the fleet to defend. 

Fur as redikerlus it seemed 

Fur pigmy sich as that 
To grapple with the rebel ram 

As church-mouse with a cat; 
And when we saw her standin' guard 

By them great towering craft. 
It wuz so mirth provokin', lads, 

That we jist up and laughed. 

"But them laughs best as laughs the last," 

As the old sayin' is, 
And Worden had the bulge on us 

When he got through his biz; 
But we wuz so oncommon glad 

To see what he hed done, 
That not a soul uv us begrudged 

The victory he'd won. 



45 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

But I am steamin' on too fast, 

And so I'll stop and back 
To whar he laid a-waitin' fur 

The ironclad to attack; 
And that wuz not fur very long, 

F"ur nigh eight bells, we seed 
The rebel fleet a-comin', and 

The big ram in the lead. 

And then our hearts grew sad ag'in, 

A-thinkin' that the fate 
Uv our two sunken ships oflf there 

The others did await; 
And ye may well believe me, lads, 

Our sperrits riz no higher 
When hot shot from the Merrimac 

The frigate sot afire. 

But, meantime, whar's the Monitor? 

"A-runnin', some may say; 
Yes, rnnnin\ but by all the saints. 

Not from the foe away; 
Fur if we dared to trust our eyes. 

Instead uv turnin' tail. 
She wuz a-makin' fur the ram 

Despite her iron hail. 

Now, I've a leetle narve, I hope, 

But, lads, I am afeared 
I would hev cogertated long 

Afore I would hev steered 
Away from all the other ships 

In that queer ontried craft, — 
And when we saw her start we thought 

Old Worden must be daft. 



46 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

But he wuz just as cute as brave, 

And so he left the fleet, 
And steamed right out into the Roads. 

The rebel ram to meet 
As far from shore as possible, 

That he might fight her there; 
And so our helpless wooden ships 

From her big rifles spare. 

The rebel gunboats only came 

On fur enough to see 
What kind uv a newfangled craft 

The Monitor might be. 
And seemin' not to like the way 

In which she steamed ahead, 
They quickly turned their starns to her 

And down toward Norfolk fled. 

Now that wuz not discouragin', 

But when a sheet of flame 
Swept from the ironclad's battery. 

And 'cross the water came 
The sullen thunder uv her guns, 

It seemed to us ashore. 
That when the smoke went we should see 

The Monitor no more. 

Fur she wuz close beside the ram, 

And, as ye know, we feared 
It wuz a mighty risky thing 

The lion thar to beard; 
But when a minnit arterward 

The smoke away hed cleared. 
We saw her seemin' safe and sound. 

And tossed our hats and cheered. 



47 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

And then her turret turned around, 

And from a port a gun 
Wuz run out toward the rebel craft, 

And then another one; 
And quick from out their big black throats 

They belched forth fire and smoke, 
And with no soft, unsartin' sound 

Unto the rebels spoke. 

Yet, lads, I larnt soon arterwards 

From one uv Worden's crew, 
That neither did the other craft 

The slightest damage do; 
Fur, barrin' dents made here and thar, 

And loosened bolts a few. 
The vessels arter the fust round 

Wuz jist as good as new. 

And then they took a breathin' spell, 

Like boxers in a ring. 
And then they fur an openin' spar. 

And then their skippers bring 
'Em up unto the scratch agin, 

Whar wicked blows they dealt. 
And tryin' always to get in 

A blow below the belt. 

Below the armor belt, I mean, 

For a foot or two beneath 
The water line uv both the ships 

Thar wuz no iron sheath, 
And so the rebel tried to ram 

Our champion with her prow, 
But Worden wuz too wily fur 

To let 'em through her plow. 



48 



1 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

And bein' not a bit behind 

The Rebs at sich a game, 
He drove his craft agin' their starn, 

A hopin' he might lame 
Their rudder or propeller blades, 

But missed 'em by a foot, 
And then to try fur 'em agin' 

His craft about he put. 

And at sich work she had the best 

Uv the big Merrimac; 
Which wuz both slow and hard to steer. 

While she could turn or back 
In half the time the rebel took. 

And so made up the lack 
Uv bigger size and eight more guns 

In quickness uv attack. 

So after all, they wuz well matched, 

As the proceedin's proved, 
A-firin' guns and rushin' rams 

As 'round the Roads they moved; 
But not a single man was killed, 

And not a lad made lame, 
Which state of things fur old-time tars 

Wuz most uncommon tame. 

And it wuz jist the sort uv thing, 

Lads sich like to onrage 
To be inside that turret shet, 

Like squirrels in a cage; 
And hev the sides go round and round 

Until they couldn't say 
In what direction they wuz bound 

Or whar the rebel lay. 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

Fur nothin' could be seen outside, 

Exceptin' when a gun 
Wuz ready, and the shutters raised, 

That out it might be run. 
And then they had to wait ontil 

The ram seemed saiHn' by, 
And then, the lanyard pullin' quick, 

To take her on the fly. 

And so the sluggin' match went on 

Till after twelve o'clock, 
And then a shell the pilot house 

Struck with a fearful shock, 
And, bustin', blinded Worden so, 

And did so badly stun, 
That fur a leetle while he thought 

His 'arthly days wuz done. 

But yet gave orders to sheer ofif, 

As he wuz led below, 
So that they might examine things 

And the full damage know; 
And lying thar upon his bed. 

To them a-standin' by, 
Said: "As the Minnesota's saved, 

Then I can happy die." 

But Greene found that the pilot house 

Wuz not so badly wrecked. 
As the explosion uv the shell 

Had led them to expect; 
But when he turned agin to fight 

He found the ram had fled 
Down Norfolk way, a-steamin' straight. 

And leakin' bad, 'twas said. 



60 



THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. 

And yet they had the narve to claim 

That Worden hadn't won: — 
His business was to save the fleet, 

And that he'd nobly done; 
And to our navy's latest day 

His glory will go down, 
And every loyal heart be proud 

Uv his well 'arned renown. 

So ended the fust ironclad fight, 

And its shots to the earth 
Proclaimed the death of wooden ships, 

Uv armorclads the birth ; 
And Englishmen and Frenchmen, too, 

The German and the Turk, 
To makin' fightin' sea machines 

Then quickly got to work. 

But in machinery shops afloat 

1 never took much stock; 
As full uv wheels and cogs and springs 

As gran'dad's eight day clock. 
NO; lads, an old time man-o'-war. 

With gun decks wide and free. 
And old time crew to man her, too. 

Is good enough fur me. 




51 



JACK GROWLS ABOUT THE GROG. 

HO! messmates! hev ye heerd the news, 
They're goin' to stop our grog! 
I s'pose 'they'll take our backky next 

And then 'ill go our prog; 
Fur things is gittin' wus and wus 

On shipboard every day, 
And what they'll spring onto us next 

No mother's son kin say; 
Yes, things is at a purty pitch, 

And I intend to know — 

Yes, I intend to know 
How fur the robbin' uv our rights 

'111 be allowed to go. 

'Twuz bad enough to take away 

Our good old sailin' craft, 
And make us live in tubs that look 

Like gas tanks on a raft; 
Ships that are utterly oufit 

Fur old time fightin' tars, 
Who loved their grand old wooden walls, 

Their riggin' and their spars. 
Yes, things is at a purty pitch. 

And I intend to know — 

Yes, I intend to know 
How fur the robbin' uv our rights 

'111 be allowed to go. 



52 



JACK GROWLS ABOUT THE GROG. 

A sailor's life is hard enough 

When things is at their best, 
With cleanin' brass and scrubbin' decks, 

Sea sojers and the rest; 
But if they take away our grog 

They'll find they've gone too far, 
Fur thar's a limit even to 

The patience uv a tar. 
Yes, things is at a purty pitch, 

And I intend to know — 

Yes, I intend to know 
How fur the robbin' uv our rights 

'111 be allowed to go. 

"What will I do?" Til write to Grant! 

He is the seaman's friend, 
And boss of these United States, 

And sartin can't intend 
That things to sich a purty pitch 

Should in the navy kum, 
That them that is but clarks uv his 

Should rob us uv our rum. 
Yes, I will write to Grant, my lads. 

And he will let 'em know — 

Yes, Grant 'ill let 'em know 
That in their tramplin' on our rights 

They mustn't further go. 



JACK'S LETTER TO GRANT.* 

I TOLD ye, mates, I'd write to Grant, 
And here the letter is, 
About the stoppin' uv our grog. 

And it 'ill do the biz, 
If he's the lad I think he be — 

The man-o'-warsman's friend — 
Fur soon as he hez read it through 
He'll dead sure matters mend. 



"Deer giniral Ulissus grant; 

I hoap yu may n't blaim 
Me fur a-ritin' i am sound 

And hoapin yur the saim: 
And also that my mates is well, 

I'd menshun as i pass. 
And giv thare best respecks to yu. 

The missus and the lass. 

"Butt that is not the ownly thing 

I hev to rite abowt, 
And think that wen yu've heerd my yarn 

Yu wil bee mutch put out, 
To larn how they is treatin' us, 

Yur comrads in the war; 
Thoe wee wuz fitin' on the sea. 

And yu upon the shoar. 

"The trubbel's with them clarks uv yurn 

Down thar in washin'tun, 
Whoo hev bin tramplin' on our rites 

And lots uv damige dun 
Onto the sarvis that wee luv, 

And fur wich tew wee fawt. 
And try to doo our duty by. 

As every troo tar awt. 

* The serving of grog to the sailors of the U. S. Navy 
was stopped during the administration of President 
Grant, through the efforts of Admiral Foote. 

54 



JACK'S LETTER TO GRANT. 

"Fust place they tuk away our ships, 

The Hartfurd, the Kearsarge — 
Uv wich sech tars as Farragut 

And Winslow wuz in charge, 
And put us onto irun craft, 

No moar fur old tars fit 
Than them top-lofty naval clarks 

In yur big cheer to sit. 

"And thar is the sea-sojers, tew, 

But they wuz alius 'round, 
And wil bee, tew, i calkerlate, 

Til the last trump shal sound; 
Without yu find it in yur haft 

The lubbers to remoove, 
And, 'yond the shadder uv a dout. 

The seaman's best frend pruve. 

"But wee bee powrfel payshunt lads, 

And wudn't hev complaned 
If things, thoe they wuz bad enuflf, 

Hed jist the saim remaned; 
But, ginirul, can yu credit it. 

That things cud ever cum 
To sech a pitch they'd hev the narve 

To take away our rum! 

"But that is jist the thing they did, 

And yu wil mee beleeve. 
They cud hev nuthin' dun to us 

That moar our harts wood greeve; 
They mite hev she! our backky off. 

Or cut us down in prog. 
But it a 'blarsted outrage wuz 

To take away our grog. 



55 



JACK'S LETTER TO GRANT. 

"The offusers they hev thar wine, 

And, if they wants, thar beer; 
And shud a sailor bee shet off 

Uv that he holds most deer? 
"No!" i am sartin yu wil say 

Wen theze lines meets yur site, 
And yu wil tel them offus chaps 

Frum thare high perch to 'light. 

"Wall, i kan think uv nuthin' elce 

To rite about jist now. 
And so to yu and to yur mate 

I make my slickest bow. 
And send my greetin's to the lads, 

And to the lass a smack. 
And hoap yu'll let mee sine myself, 

Yure humble sarvant, 

Jack. 



"Ps. i hoap yu'll ancer this. 

That every sailor lad 
Aboard the Mackinaw with me 

May hev his hart made glad. 
To hear yuVe told them offus chaps 

To take anuther tack; 
And then we'll drink to yu and yurs. 

Once more, yure sarvant, 
Jack. 



56 



HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. 

WHY will ye bother me agin, 
Ye pesky midshipmites. 
To tell the forty 'leventh time 

About the old sea-fights? 
Why don't ye fall afoul o' Phil, 

Who'd rather talk than eat? 
Particklarly uv Farragut, 
The Hartford and the fleet. 

What! Never heerd how the Kearsarge 

The Alabama sunk? 
Then I will spin the yarn when I 

This glass o' grog hev drunk; 
Fur I wuz in the good old ship 

The day the fight wuz won. 
And tharfur am the man to tell 

The way the deed wuz done. 

Ah! that's the stufif! I alius like 

To hev my whistle wet, 
And somethin' warm inside, afore 

To pipin' yarns I set. 
Now sit ye on that hawser, thar, 

And ye agin that gun. 
And I will try to tell you how 

The victory wuz won. 



57 



HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. 

You see we hed been layin' at 

Old Flushing on the Scheldt, 
And hevin' caught no rebel craft, 

Summut downhearted felt; 
Though we the Rappahannock hed 

Blockaded at Calais, 
So close her crew dismantled her 

And slunk from thar away. 

So when one arternoon we saw 

"The Comet" at the fore, — 
The signal fur to come aboard 

To all who wuz ashore, — 
We quickly mustered all our lads 

And piled aboard the ship, 
And from the old Dutch harbor soon 

Unto the sea did slip. 

And then unto the quarter deck 

The bos'n piped the crew, 
When Cap'n Winslow up and spoke, 

And soon from him we knew 
That in the harbor uv Cherbourg 

The Alabama laid, 
And with the hope uv fightin' her 

We hed our anchor weighed. 

Now them's the kind uv tidin's that 

A war tar likes to hear, 
And so from out a hundred throats 

Thar broke a hearty cheer; 
And very happy lads that night, 

We in our hammocks lay, 
A-dreamin' uv the rebel craft 

And uv the comin' fray. 



58 



HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. 

Next mornin' Dover's chalky cliffs 

Rose up before our view, 
And near the town soon arterwards 

We hove our vessel to; 
When gittin' the dispatches that 

The cap'n called there for, 
All steam wuz crowded on agin, 

And fur Cherbourg we bore. 

We reached thar on the foUerin' day, 

And sure enough in port 
The Alabama safe was moored 

Behind the Frenchmen's fort. 
But we did not to anchor come. 

But ofif the harbor lay. 
And closely watched the pirate, that 

She shouldn't slip away. 

But Semmes he warn't a runnin' then, 

Fur, bein' 'bout our size, 
He thought it would look cowardly 

To friendly English eyes 
For them to skip away from us, 

Him and his pirate crew, 
When they had boasted what they could 

Unto the Yankees do. 

And tharfur he a message sent 

Through some one in the town, 
That they to of¥er battle soon 

Unto us would come down. 
And so to meet the rebel craft 

We good and ready made, 
But all the week went by and still 

Behind the fort they stayed. 



59 



HOW THE REARS ARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA, 

And day by day our sperrits dropped 

Because we feared a trick 
Old Semmes would try to play on us, 

Fur he was mighty slick; 
That on some thick or stormy night 

From port he'd try to steal, 
And if he should git well away 

How cut up we should feel. 

But Sunday, when the cap'n wuz 

The service 'bout to read, 
The officer upon the deck 

A steamer comin' seed; 
And when he "Alabama" sung, 

Thar never was a crew 
That with more joy and eagerness 

Unto their quarters flew. 

That Sabbath wuz so calm and mild, 

So peaceful lay the sea, 
It skarcely seemed the comin' craft 

An enemy could be; 
And though he said that Sunday was 

His alius lucky day, 
Semmes did fur openin' fire on us 

That mornin' dearly pay. 

Cap. Winslow wouldn't fight the Rebs 

So nigh a neutral shore. 
To which, if whipped, they'd steam away, 

And so we seaward bore, 
Till seven miles or so from land, 

When quick about we steered. 
And, as they closely follered us, 

We soon each other neared. 



60 



HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. 

When jist about a mile away 

The pirates opened fire; 
But we no answer made to them, 

But waited to g"it nigh'r; 
And so two uv their broadsides took, 

And half a mile hed run, 
As quiet as a Quaker church 

Before we fired a gun. 

Their shots, though, they hed sent so wild 

That most above us flew; 
But when at last we got to work, 

Ours went so straight and true 
That we could see 'em strike her hull. 

And one, her spanker gafif. 
Which brought her colors to the deck, 

While we set up a laugh. 

And then we tried to pass across 

The Alabama's stern. 
But Semmes he got onto our game, 

And quick as us did turn; 
And so, to keep from bein' raked. 

Both ships steamed 'round one spot, 
While, fast as we could load and fire, 

We poured in shell and shot. 

But not too fast, fur we took care 

That every one should tell. 
Fur Thornton, our executive, 

Had trained our gunners well; 
And every time we hulled the Reb, 

Or did their riggin' tear. 
You ought to've seen us shout fur joy 

And toss our caps in air. 



61 



HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. 

But the pirates little crowin' did, 

Fur uv our lads but three 
Wuz hurt by all the shot they sent, 

And but one mortally; 
While our shell swept three crews away 

From their aft pivot gun, 
And killed and wounded forty men 

Afore the fight wuz done. 

And done it was within an hour, 

Fur soon their sails they set, 
And headin' fur the neutral line. 

Within it tried to get; 
But we wuz quickly arter them 

And 'cross their bows we steered. 
When suddent from their spanker gaff 

Their colors disappeared. 

But whether lowered or shot away, 

At fust we couldn't tell; 
And so into the rebel craft 

We kept on sendin' shell; 
Till, whar the Stars and Bars had been 

A white flag wuz displayed; 
When, sartin that they hed enough, 

At once our fire we stayed. 

Meantime a queer thing happened to 

Our flag stopped at the main. 
Fur almost the last shot they fired 

The halyards cut in twain, 
And so our colors they unfurled 

From our main royal truck, 
Jist at the minnit when to us 

Their own flag they hed struck. 



HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. 

The firin' stopped, they sent a boat 

Aboard our ship to tell 
That they the fight had given up, 

And ask our help as well; 
And so two boats war quickly manned 

And sent unto their ship, 
And glad I wuz, lads, to be told 

In one ov them to slip. 

And such a sight I never seed 

In all my life afore, 
As that aboard the rebel craft. 

Her decks all red with gore 
Uv forty dead and wounded men, 

'Most layin' whar they fell. 
And all her port side blown away 

By our unerrin' shell. 

And she wuz fillin', too, so fast. 

And settlin' at the stern. 
That 'fore we could git all hands off 

Her bows they did upturn 
Until they stood straight up in air, 

When tlirough the blood-dyed wave. 
She backward slowly slipped and sank 

Unto her watery grave. 

So wuz it, lads, we thrashed old Semmes 

And his half furrin crew. 
And made all Northern hearts as glad 

As Southern hearts were blue; 
But that wuz thirty years ago, 

And friends to-day are we, 
And ready side by side to fight 

A common enemy. 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 

HOMEWARD bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! 
Break the pennant to the breeze, 
Hoist it to the higliest masthead, 
Let it stream far o'er the seas ; 

Refrain — For we're under sailin' orders 

To our home' beyond the main; 
Home and country! — words soul stirrin'- 
Let them be our glad refrain. 

Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! 

At the capstan lend a hand! 
To the catheads bring the anchors, 

And be off for Freedom's land; 

Refrain — For, etc 

Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! 

Set now every rag uv sail, 
Ay, set every stitch uv canvas 

To the fresh and favorin' gale; 

Refrain — For, etc. 

Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! 

Shove the merry work along! 
Many hands make easy labors. 

And we'll ease them, too, with song. 

Refrain — For, etc. 



64 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! 

Heave the "Jonah" o'er the rail! 
For an offerin' unto Neptune, 

That his favors may not fail. 

Refrain — For, etc. 

Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! 

Up and give a rousin' cheer 
To our comrades we are leaving 

On this furrin' station here. 

Refrain— For, etc. 



65 



SHIPS AT SEA. 

A SHIP at sea! A ship at sea! 
O watch her dancing merrily 
O'er dead men's graves 
Beneath the waves! 
A ship at sea 's a charming sight 
When speeding through the soft starhght, 
And summer gales 
Fill out her sails. 

A ship at sea! A ship at sea! 
Ah, look! She staggers helplessly 

O'er dead men's graves 

Beneath the waves! 
A ship at sea 's a fearful sight, 
When storm-chased through the winter night 

She madly bowls 

Upon the shoals! 



66 



OUT WITH THE TIDE. 

HE'LL go out with the tide," the old sailor said, 
"It ebbs to-day at half-past four;" 
As his shipmate tossed on his humble bed 
In his home by the river shore. 

Five days and five nights has the tide of life 
Ebbed and flowed through his stormy breast; 

But to-day will end the tempest's fierce strife. 
And his soul find a haven of rest. 

His old wife wept by the side of his bed, 
And the old clock ticked on the wall. 

The old sailor gazed on its face and said: 
"The tide turns, and it soon will fall." 

"Ah! his cable's parted," ere long he sighed, 
While a tear on his rough cheek lay; 

"He's adrift on the seaward ebbin' tide; 

Well, we seamen should go that way." * * * 

Adrift on the tide! Ah! unto what sea 

Doth the river of life e'er flow? 
We scarce grasp the present — but what's to be, 

None knoweth, nor here shall e'er know. 



67 



AT TAP OF DRUM. 

IT seems like '6i again 
To hear the talk of war, 
Of fleets assembling on the sea 

And soldiers on the shore: 
My hair is white, my back is bent, 

But if war has to come 
ril polish up my gun once more I. 

And march at tap of drum. h) 

Some foreigner, I see, has said j 

The South would join the foe 
If we should have a war with Spain, 

Which only serves to show 
He little knows the Southern heart, 

For if a war should come 
The South would be as quick as North 

To march at tap of drum. 

Things do seem rather serious 

About the sunken Maine; 
And would be very grave, I fear. 

If she was sunk by Spain; 
I hope it was an accident, 

But if war has to come 
I'll heed my country's call again 

And march at tap of drum. 



AT TAP OF DRUM. 

I want no war for sake of war, 

For I know what it is; 
For I have heard the shriek of shell, 

And heard the bullets whiz; 
But if things get to such a pass 

That war has got to come 
ril shoulder my old gun again 

And march at tap of drum. — 

But when at last life's march is o'er, 
And hushed its battle shout, 

And the dread-visaged drummer — Death- 
Has sounded: "All lights out!" 

Then, comrades, if you're lingering here, 
I pray that you will come 

And lay me where our brave boys lie 
Who marched at tap of drum. 



69 



MY NATIVE LAND! 

MY Native Land! Land ever mine! 
My, love my hopes, my fears are thine: 
My love for what thou art to me, 
My fears for dangers threatening thee, 
My hopes for better things to be. 

No foes without awake my fears 

For this or for thy future years : — 
Thy greatest of thy household are, — 
Sons who their heritage would mar. 
And ingrate aliens from afar. 

But these are feeble and but few 
Compared with those both fond and true : — 
Sons proud of thy immortal past. 
Sons zealous for thy future vast, — 
Ten thousand thousand such thou hast. 

Like mother toward her erring child. 
Thou art forgiving, patient, mild: — 
But let thy children false beware 
How far thy loyal sons they dare 
Their arms in thy defense to bare. 

My Native Land! May He whose power 

Has thee protected till this hour 
Upon thy coming years attend; 
From foes within and out defend, 
And guide and guard thee to the end. 



70 



HALT THERE! 

HALT there! Hands off that flag! 
Touch not a single star! 
And palsied ever be the arm 
That would its union scar! 
Its glory bids thee pause, 
The legends blood-writ on its folds — 
The place which in our heart it holds — 
They bid thee pause. 

Halt there! Hands off that flag! 

Touch not a single star! 
Won for it by our valiant sires 
In Freedom's holy war. 

The Past! It bids thee pause; 
The deeds of the heroic dead, 
Who 'neath its stars to victory led — 
They bid thee pause. 

Halt there! Hands off that flag! 

Touch not a single star! 
For by a thousand sacred ties 
To it close-bound they are; 

The Present bids thee pause! 
The welfare of thy fellow men — 
What now they are, and might have been- 
All bid thee pause. 



n 



HALT THERE! 

Halt there! Hands off that flag! 

Touch not a single star! 
The weal of millions yet unborn 
Thy wicked way would bar! 

The Future bids thee pause! 
The hope for better things to be — 
Of universal liberty! — 

It bids thee pause. 

Halt there! Hands off that flag! 

Touch not a single star! 
The yearning nations of the Earth 
Call to thee from afar. 

Their sorrows bid thee pause — 
The pleadings of a wistful world 
That its fair folds shall ne'er be furled- 
They bid thee pause. 

Halt there! Hands off that flag! 

Touch not a single star! 
Mtthinks that voices from the sky 
Forbid its grace to mar; 

That Heaven bids thee pause 
In word or deed to work it ill 
Before its mission it fulfill — 
Heaven bids thee pause. 



w 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

A BIRTHDAY ODE. 

I SAW an old yet stately ship 
Her cables for the last time slip, 
And ebb with evening away, 
And as she drifted through the gloom 
More grandly did her spars uploom 

Than through the long bright summer day. 

So when a great and good man dies 
And passes o'er the sea that lies 

Unfathomed, yet so near the world; 
Far loftier to us seems he then 
Than ere, in port, beyond our ken, 

His noble life's fair sails were furled. 

Thou, when on earth, wert men too near 
To give them vision calm and clear 

Of thy majestic mind and mien; 
But o'er the ocean of the past 
Thy towering figure is at last 

In all its matchless grandeur seen. 

First Captain of our Ship of State! 
If from that sea, God-granted fate 

May let thee speak its sad waves o'er. 
Speak to thy people here to-day 
And guide till Time our bark shall lay 

In Port of Peace for evermore. 

Thou art not dead! but livest still 
In word and deed our hearts to thrill 

To action worthy of our birth! 
'Neath yon dear flag at masthead high — 
Our banner borrowed from the sky — 

Its wedded stars the hope of earth! 

78 



GRANT AT MOUNT McGREGOR. 

CLOSE to his page the aged warrior bends, 
The record of his life to write; while near, 
Death waits the end of task for them most dear 
The toiler's heart whose anguish well nigh rends 
His once strong frame, and souls of loving friends. 
Of all his deeds none other is the peer 
Of this, the bravest of his brave career, 
Which to his fame a gentler lustre lends. 

Love's labor ended, quickly also ends 

The truce with Death, and the great captain yields 

To the first victor of a score of fields; 
And o'er his bier in common sorrow blends 

The grief of those who with him won the day, 

And those once met in battle's stern array. 



74 



THE EVENING GUN. 

THE day is done! 
The evening gun 
Proclaims it dead o'er isle and bay; 
Midst fortress walls, 
With shrill sad calls, 
Its dirge the brazen bugles play. 

But do not mourn, 

For merry horn 
Will soon be sounding o'er the sea; 

And from the night 

A day more bright 
On dewy wing will come to thee. 

So when thy life. 

Its storms and strife. 
At peaceful eve have passed away; 

May trumpets sweet 

In heaven greet 
Thee with their 'rapturing reveille. 



gi^ 



76 



